Shortly after taking off from the Greek island of Corfu, a Condor flight bound for Düsseldorf was forced to interrupt its journey due to an engine problem.

Eyewitnesses told the media that they first heard a loud bang, followed by flames shooting from the engine. Condor, however, emphasised that no fire was detected inside the turbine, though it confirmed that brief bursts of flames could have occurred as a result of the engine malfunction.

One passenger recalled that a sudden, deafening noise was followed almost immediately by flames coming from the side of the aircraft.

The German airline, part of the Lufthansa group, explained that the incident may have been caused by an airflow problem within the reactor.

Following all standard safety protocols and in close coordination with aviation authorities, flight DE3665 was redirected over the Adriatic before the crew decided to land the Boeing 757 in Brindisi, Italy, on Monday evening.

All 281 passengers were later transferred to Düsseldorf on a replacement aircraft, while the plane with the faulty engine remained in Italy for a detailed technical inspection.

The precise causes of the incident have not yet been determined and are still under investigation.